Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In respect of the roads, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, have requested all local authorities to assess the cost of the damage and the cost of engaging contractors and others to carry out work such as clearing roads. Some cannot do that yet because where I come from the roads are still white so no one can tell what damage has been done. It will be another week or two before it all thaws and the damage is manifest. That affects all rural dwellers.

I understand that very little milk was dumped. Glanbia moved straightaway to price any milk that had to be discarded at 20 cent per litre and every effort was made to minimise that issue. I think it was down almost to single figures. The board of Dairygold is meeting to consider a scheme in the order of 10 cent to 15 cent a litre, in an effort to show solidarity with their suppliers and to help them. With regard to structural damage, it is too easy to let insurance companies off the hook. They have a moral duty to longstanding customers, some of whom have not experienced an event such as this since 2010-11 and before that 1982. Farmers around the country have paid many premiums for insurable assets and have never claimed. There is a moral duty on insurance companies to engage with these people. In the long term, they will get it back. I hope we will not have another weather event. In some buildings where there is structural damage fatigue was probably setting in and they needed to be upgraded. If that is done, and the same applies to the difference between old glass and the stronger glass nowadays, it should prevent a more frequent occurrence of this damage. We have much to do. We should acknowledge the good work that went on and the solidarity shown across rural communities. It has brought out the best in many cases, epitomising neighbourliness and community spirit.

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